Agriculture is another sector reliant on polyurethane and its ability to remain impervious to temperature changes, and a wide range of contaminants. It can also be cast with highly specific levels of malleability and movement potential, according to the tasks the parts perform.

Reliability is always key when specifying prototypes or multiple-part manufacturing. It certainly tops the list of priorities for aerospace companies. They depend on parts that keep their integrity in extreme environments, and in the face of intense pressure, friction and vibration.

We hope this blog added some clarity on how the history of PU has led to the manufacturing processes we use today, and ultimately the popularity of the material.

Unrivalled versatility means that PU can fulfil heavy-duty tasks in extreme weather conditions, but it can also be used for intricate parts in delicate processes. This includes textile, paper and board machinery anvil covers, covered and sun feed rollers, soft touch wheels and cutting sticks.

The options to colour polyurethane and create intricate designs, make it a favoured material for aesthetic street furniture in both private and public landscapes. However, its incredible strength and weather resistance also makes it ideal for in-ground bollard housing, sensor housing and street bollards, for example.

Polyurethane can be found in a large number of everyday household items and machinery. Its versatility is the reason for the widespread popularity. The material can be made soft enough to make furniture more comfortable and durable enough to use in tyres.

The auto sector was one of the first to appreciate custom polyurethane. Engineers and designers were keen to find alternative materials to rubber and metal, to cut costs and improve vehicle reliability and performance.

Its crucial combination of long-term durability and environmental resistance also makes polyurethane ideal for parts that need to perform in exposed or saltwater locations, as well as under intense weight, pressure or friction.

For example, agricultural machinery engineers use polyurethane for mud flaps with a degree of flex, and scraper blades operating in demanding conditions. Polyurethane is also ideally rigid for star wheels and bend restrictors, facing intense loads and pressure.

The short answer to ‘What is polyurethane used for?’, is anything that needs to be durable, with accurate dimensions and tensile properties. Here we’ll focus on the most common industrial applications for polyurethane and why it’s the first choice for a lot of material specifiers.

Polyurethaneusesin construction

You will also find Polyurethane as the material of choice for cutting sticks, ladder hooks, gaskets, rods and tubes, along with conveyor belts and Diablo rollers, to name but a few.

As an insulating material, polyurethane conserves precious energy in homes, factories and machines — making them more efficient and less demanding.

Polyurethane properties anduses

Polyurethanes are some of the most versatile and useful polymers that we have today. They exist in many different forms, which have various uses. Polymers are synthetic materials made by joining together long chains of complex organic molecules called monomers. Better known to us as plastics, polymers are an integral part of modern industrialisation and […]

This is where polyurethane began to be used as it is today. This included the use of polyurethane to synthesise leather, to be used in foam cushions, and other furniture upholstery such as car seats. In this era, hard foams were used for the first time, where previously only soft foams had been used for products. During the late 50’s custom mouldable polyurethane was developed, and PU was already beginning to be used as adhesives.

Polyurethane has come a long way since 1937. Researchers are continuing to improve the material to make it easier to produce, cheaper and more environmentally-friendly. For instance, manufacturers have been trying to do away with chloral-floral carbons used as blowing agents in the production of polyurethane foams. A future with polyurethane certainly looks greener.

Polyurethanes are some of the most versatile and useful polymers that we have today. They exist in many different forms, which have various uses. Polymers are synthetic materials made by joining together long chains of complex organic molecules called monomers. Better known to us as plastics, polymers are an integral part of modern industrialisation and have their uses in numerous application.

Today, polyurethane development has been refined to produce useful types of materials including polyurethanes coatings, spandex fibres and thermoplastics.

Polyurethaneuses

In World War II necessity and need for materials made the use of PU widespread. According to the American Chemical Society “The onset of World War II cut off U.S. access to 90 percent of the natural rubber supply” leaving many without rubber and “no commercial process to produce a general purpose synthetic rubber.” This, and similar shortages throughout the war, led to the necessity to create a synthetic substance to replace rubber that could also be mass produced.

Polyurethane is an excellent thermal insulator. In construction, layers of low-density polyurethane are used to insulate the walls, roof and floors. Home insulation reduces energy consumption, which helps cut carbon emissions. They are also used to insulate plumbing material and pipes in industries and machinery.

Today, polyurethane is used in all industries, from products you would use in your daily life to industrial machinery. Some of the main industries PU is used in are:

Though it can be manufactured in a wide variety of forms, including foams and adhesives, we are going to focus on cast polyurethane in this article. This is the high-performance elastomer modern industry increasingly depends on.

Polyurethane is moulded to produce foams with various characteristic for use in many applications. Their foams are preferred other types of foam due to their durability and range of flexibility. They are used in furniture such as beds, seats and cushions.

What is liquid polyurethane used for

Later, scientists realised that by synthesising polyurethane into fine threads, it could be combined with nylon, resulting in a lightweight, stretchable material. 1953 saw the first commercial production of polyurethane foam, which began in the US. The foam was rigid and mostly used for insulation; that was until more flexible and cheaper foams were introduced in 1956.

Polyurethanes were the perfect alternative to rubber, as it’s significantly more durable and versatile than natural rubber. During the war PU was used on a limited scale as aircraft coating, and for corrosion and chemical resistant coatings to metal, wood, and mustard gas resistant garments.

By the late 1950s, polyurethanes were already being used as adhesives, when mouldable polyurethane was developed. The mouldable material gave way to more applications, including making flexible cushions.

Polyurethanes can be made using a variety of different processes, such as injection moulding, reaction injection moulding, compression moulding, rotational moulding, blow moulding, and casting. Each process is used for a specific purpose, but injection moulding is one of the most popular due to its capability for precision. Injection moulding can also be used to manufacture large amounts of identical products, making it ideal for mass production.

Besides all that, polyurethane is 100% recyclable. Polyurethane can be extracted from discarded items through various methods to form new raw material for some industries. Bio-base polyurethane is also widely being used as an environmentally-friendly coating agent. It is made from biodegradable material derived from Bio-matter such as vegetable oils and cashew nut shell liquid.

Polyurethaneusesin industry

Polyurethane is a critical raw material in the construction of durable and lightweight car panels and electronics. This means that less powerful engines can be fitted into vehicles, which consume little fuel and produce less emission. Coating surfaces with polyurethane extends the lifespan of machines, electronics and buildings; this reduces the end cost and energy for maintenance and replacement.

Due to their high limits of elasticity, elastomers are used to make elastic products such as gel pads, gaskets, O-rings, sealants and rollers. Such items are made to withstands high pressures while still maintaining their elastic properties.

Plastics have recently come under scrutiny over their impact on the environment. The good news is that polyurethane is leading the trend in using synthetic material to conserve the planet.

Polyurethaneuseson wood

For instance, Custom Moulded Polyurethane can craft size-specific rollers and sling separators for ski slopes, or robust castors and wheels for boat hauling equipment. The possibilities are endless and even colour matching is easy.

In 1940, the first polyurethane elastomers were successfully developed. Polyurethane elastomers are a class of Polyurethane material whose physical characteristics are similar to that of rubber. During World War II, this new type of material quickly became a cheaper alternative to rubber, which at the time was rare and expensive. In the war, they were also used as protective coatings on aeroplanes.

Ultra-thin layers of various types of polyurethane are used as protective coatings on different materials and surfaces. Car bodies and floor surfaces, for instance, are often coated with polyurethanes to protect them from scratches, dents and weather damage. Polyurethane coats are remarkably durable and adhesive.

This has been partly answered by looking at other industrial applications for polyurethane, but there are many more engineering uses. PU can be specified to be a substantial way to stop the force, a highly efficient way to move things along, and an impressive load bearer. Examples include wheels of all shapes and roles, used on everything from forklift trucks, to guide wheels to support delicate materials.

Choosing a polyurethane manufacturer willing to innovate can be vital. This includes experimenting with parts for the diverse leisure sector.

Polyurethane is used for an ever-widening variation of parts on vehicles – not just those used on roads – as it’s ideal for mud flaps, bump stops and guide wheels. Among the other places polyurethane is used within vehicles are magnetic sensor housing, track idlers, and task-specific bushing components.

However, to begin with, his ideas of precisely mixing chemicals to achieve a foam, (what is now known as PU,) was seen as incredibly unrealistic at the time. Whilst his experiments attempting to synthesise polyurethane foam proved successful in the 1930’s, it would take 10 more years for custom moulded polyurethane materials to be properly developed.

What isurethane

These are just some of the current uses for polyurethane. It’s over to you now, to work with the design team at Custom Moulded Polyurethane to create a part that gives you all the right answers.

Polyurethane is clearly in demand for a myriad of wheel types. That includes everything from cable drum rollers and heavy-duty machinery wheels to small guide wheels, spokes, track idlers and conveyor rollers.

This has led to the increasing use of cast PU for such items as fueling parts, thrust washers and bend restrictors, as well as for highly durable bump stops and effective curling rings.

Polyurethane customisability is another key benefit of our services. Companies such as Custom Moulded Polyurethane can manufacture products to your specifications, to suit your project’s individual needs. Injection moulding means that CMP can manufacture small and complex parts to a high standard, for products that may be too intricate to manufacture by hand.

So, applications for polyurethane include maritime and rig-based bend restrictors, Diablo rollers, blocks, stops and dry dock gate rollers, for example. Lightweight but dependable Anti-Viv strakes for off-shore locations are also increasingly cast from polyurethane.

The soles of most shoes, especially sport shoes, are lined with a thin inner layer of polyurethane material. Heavy-duty tyres are also lined with a layer of polyurethane. The polyurethane is resilient and elastic; it maintains the shape of the rubber even after repeated stretching, twisting and compressing.

Polyurethaneusesin medical

Polyurethanes trace their origins back to 1937, when a German chemist, Friedrich Bayer, developed the earliest prototype of Polyurethane fibres known as Perlon U.

It’s obvious that polyurethane’s incredible strength and resistance factors make its use ever more common for mining and quarrying tasks. PU provides 100% reliability for applications such as impact bars and pads, and quarry screens.

Cast PU is undoubtedly a ‘problem solver’ in creating flawlessly accurate parts.  Specifiers often switch to PU due to its advantages over alternative materials, including rubber, plastic and metal, but after that, what is polyurethane used for and how did it get to that point?

The chemistry behind polyurethanes was first invented by Professor Dr. Otto Bayer. He first came across rubber chemistry as head of the Central Scientific Laboratory in Leverkusen. This is where he began the process of attempting to master polyaddition using diisocyanates – the modern process of this is still based on his research here.

Due to these leaps in advancement during World War 2, the 1950’s saw polyurethanes develop into what it is today. The 1950’s was the start of the third ( the current) industrial revolution, partly due to the rise of consumerism. The prosperity of the 50’s, fuelled by economic boom after the war ended, meant that new products were consistently being created to keep up with the rise in consumer spending.

As it’s such a versatile material, each industrial sector would have its own response to the query ‘What is polyurethane used for?’. It’s now the material of choice for a highly diverse range of parts, components and structures.